Liquid crystalline composites containing phyllosilicates

ABSTRACT

The present invention provides phyllosilicate-polymer compositions which are useful as liquid crystalline composites. Phyllosilicate-polymer liquid crystalline compositions of the present invention can contain a high percentage of phyllosilicate while at the same time be transparent. Because of the ordering of the particles liquid crystalline composite, liquid crystalline composites are particularly useful as barriers to gas transport.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH

The United States Government has rights in this invention pursuant toContract No. W-31-109-ENG-38 between the United States Department ofEnergy and the University of Chicago representing Argonne NationalLaboratory.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to liquid crystalline compositions comprised ofphyllosilicates and polymers. More particularly, this invention relatesto liquid crystalline compositions for use in barrier applications.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

It is common practice to blend materials such as mica, talc, kaolin,precipitated calcium carbonate, precipitated silica, fumed silica,barite, zinc oxide, carbon black, etc. into elastomeric, thermoset, andthermoplastic polymers. Inorganic fillers are added as high as 40 to 50weight percent. The addition of minerals to polymers can improveproperties such as strength, stiffness, temperature and impactresistance, dimensional stability, and scratch resistance. Inconventional mineral/polymer composite materials, the mineral phases aredispersed within the polymer matrix at the micrometer scale.

Much interest has been created by the more recent advance of producingnanocomposites. Nanocomposites—nanometer sized dispersions oforganophilic clays in polymers to form polymeric hybrids—have beendemonstrated to produce dramatic improvements in mechanical properties,heat resistance, thermal stability, and reduced gas permeability of thebase polymer without loss of impact strength. Due to their enhancedbarrier properties and clarity, nanocomposites are well suited for useas gas transport barriers in packaging applications. Examples includenylon-based nanocomposites for food and beverage packaging whichincorporate the nanocomposite layer within single or multi-layer films.Reduction in gas diffusion is attributed to the presence of the clayparticles which act to increase diffusion path length. Currentnanocomposites characteristically contain small amounts ofphyllosilicates dispersed in the base polymer, typically six percent orless, producing overall improvements in reduction of gas transfer thatcan be calculated from simple diffusion theory and which depend on thegeneration of a tortuous diffusion path originating from the presence ofthe dispersed organoclay. A major impediment to the commercialdevelopment of nanocomposites has been the difficulty of producinghomogenous dispersions of organoclays within the polymer matrix. Toimprove the affinity between the hydrophilic clay surface and organicpolymers, clays are treated by cation exchange withhigh-molecular-weight onium salts (e.g., ammonium, phosphonium, andsulfonium). However, even with surface treatment, phyllosilicates canstill only be dispersed at the nanoscale into polymers that containpolar functional groups. The presence of these polar functional groupsmakes high barrier polymers, such as PET, EVOH, and Nylon, sensitive towater, thus requiring their use as multiplayer laminates which containan external, water-barrier layer. The requirement of multiplayerlaminates thus increases manufacturing costs of flexible packagingfilms.

Accordingly, there is a continuing need to provide low cost materialswhich provide superior barriers against gas transport and diffusion.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

One embodiment of the present invention provides aphyllosilicate-polymer composition comprised of a phyllosilicate and apolymer layer adsorbed onto the basal surface of the phyllosilicateproviding a phyllosilicate-polymer composition. In thephyllosilicate-polymer composition the phyllosilicate-polymercomposition is present as a single phyllosilicate-polymer phase andexhibits an anomalous basal spacing. Preferably a sufficient proportionof exchange sites on the basal surface of the phyllosilicate aresubstantially occupied by protons. In other embodiments of the inventionthe polymer has at least one hydroxyl group and can be selected from thegroup consisting of polyethylene glycol, polypropylene glycol and theirmonoalkyl ether derivatives. Still other embodiments of the inventionprovide phyllosilicate-polymer compositions wherein the polymercomprises greater than 27 weight percent of the phyllosilicate-polymercomposition, the basal surface of the phyllosilicate is boundsubstantially with hydrogen ions or the basal spacing of thephyllosilicate-polymer composition increases as the molecular weight ofthe polymer increases. In yet another embodiment, the basal spacing ofthe phyllosilicate-polymer composition is equal to or greater than 17.8Å.

Still another embodiment of the present invention provides ananisotropic liquid crystalline composite comprising aphyllosilicate-polymer composite made of at least a phyllosilicate, anda polymer adsorbed onto the basal surface of the phyllosilicate. In thisembodiment the phyllosilicate-polymer composite has a highly ordered,well-defined basal spacing and the phyllosilicate-polymer composition isbirefringent. Other aspects of this embodiment of the invention includea nematically oriented phyllosilicate in the phyllosilicate-polymercomposition. In this embodiment, the phyllosilicate can make up greaterthan 10 percent of the phyllosilicate-polymer composite. Typically, thephyllosilicate is selected from the group consisting of kaolins, talcsand montmorillonites and the polymer is water soluble. In anotherembodiment the polymer can be hydrophobic, such as polyethylene. Theanisotropic liquid crystalline composite of this embodiment can furthercomprise an antioxidant. In still another embodiment of the inventionthe anisotropic liquid crystalline comprises a barrier layer such thatthe barrier layer provides a gas permeability below the gas permeabilityof the polymer alone.

The present invention also provides methods for producing an anisotropicliquid crystalline composite from a phyllosilicate and a polymer. Themethod can include the steps of suspending a phyllosilicate in acompatible solvent, dissolving a polymer that is soluble in thecompatible solvent, and removing a sufficient amount of the compatiblesolvent to produce an anisotropic liquid crystalline composite. In themethod the solvent can be water and the polymer polyethylene glycol. Themethod can further include the step of purifying the phyllosilicateprior to suspending the phyllosilicate in the compatible solvent. Themethod can provide an anisotropic liquid crystalline compositioncomprising between about 10 and 70 percent phyllosilicate. The methodalso provides composites which are extrudable and useful as gas barrierlayers.

In yet another embodiment of the present invention, a barrier film foruse in packaging and coating applications is provided having reduced gaspermeability. The barrier film comprises an anisotropic liquidcrystalline composite layer having a gas permeability below thepermeability of the polymer alone. Typically the film is transparent andis comprised of a phyllosilicate and a polymer or a combination ofpolymers. The phyllosilicate can make up greater than ten percent byweight of the liquid crystalline composite layer. The barrier film ofthe present invention can also be incorporated into other films as abarrier layer to form a multilayer film. As a non-limiting example, theliquid crystal composite can be blended with polyethylene to impartwater barrier properties and improve extrusion properties.

The above described embodiments are set forth in more detail in thefollowing description and illustrated in the drawings describedhereinbelow.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The preferred exemplary embodiment of the invention will hereinafter bedescribed in conjunction with the appended drawings, wherein likenumerals denote like elements and:

FIG. 1. Basal spacing as a function of polymer loading in liquid crystalcomposites containing polyethylene glycol.

FIG. 2. X-ray diffraction pattern of sodium exchanged saponite admixedwith polyethylene glycol at a ratio of 1 g polymer per 1 g of clay.

FIG. 3. X-ray diffraction pattern of a liquid crystalline compositecontaining 50 weight percent polyethylene glycol.

FIG. 4. A differential scanning calorimetry plot of a liquid crystallinecomposite containing 27 weight percent polyethylene glycol and a basalspacing of 17.3 Å.

FIG. 5. A differential scanning calorimetry plot of a liquid crystallinecomposite containing 50 weight percent polyethylene glycol and showing amelt transition at approximately 50° C. and a freezing transition atapproximately 15° C.

FIG. 6. X-ray diffraction pattern of a liquid crystalline compositecontaining 50 weight percent LAPONITE® clay and 50 weight percentpolyethylene-block-polyethylene glycol.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides liquid crystal composites comprised ofphyllosilicate-polymer compositions and methods of making the liquidcrystal composites. Liquid crystal composites of the present inventioncan contain minimal amounts of on the order of one percent or less byweight, up to about 70% phyllosilicate by weight. The technique utilizedin the present invention involves intercalating a polymer within thegalleries of a phyllosilicate which is preferably a purified claymaterial. Examples of suitable clay minerals include: kaolins, talcs,saponites and montmorillonites as non-limiting examples. Intercalationof the polymer within the phyllosilicate can occur according to severalmethods. As will be well understood by one skilled in the art,phyllosilicates inherently have basal surfaces and are arranged inlayers of phyllosilicate particles which are stacked on top of oneanother. The stacking of the phyllosilicates provides interlayers orgalleries between the phyllosilicate layers. These galleries arenormally occupied by cations, typically comprising sodium, potassium,lithium, calcium, magnesium ions and combinations thereof, that balancethe charge deficiency generated by the isomorphous substitution withinthe phyllosilicate layers. Typically, water is also present in thegalleries and tends to associate with the cations. The distance betweenthe basal surfaces of adjacent phyllosilicate layers is referred to asthe basal spacing.

A preferred method involves dispersing the phyllosilicate in acompatible solvent, dispersing or dissolving the polymer in thecompatible solvent and then removing enough of the solvent to produce aliquid crystalline composite of phyllosilicate and polymer. Compatiblesolvents as used in the present invention mean solvents, either neat orin admixtures, in which the phyllosilicate and polymer is capable ofbeing dispersed or suspended and preferably solvents in which thepolymer is soluble. The preferred solvent according to the presentinvention is water, although other solvents in which phyllosilicates andpolymers can be dispersed are suitable for use in the present invention.Accordingly, preferred polymers can be water soluble or not soluble inwater. Preferred polymers also have at least one hydroxyl group. Afterthe solvent is removed, the phyllosilicate-polymer mixtures produce aself-assembled liquid crystal structure. Typically, the phyllosilicateis nematically ordered within the liquid crystalline composite.Surprisingly and unexpectedly, liquid crystalline composites provideexcellent resistance to gas transport. With proper modification, theliquid crystalline compositions of the present invention can be made tobe extrudable, their water sensitivity can be adjusted, and byincorporating the proper functionality, can be made to function as botha barrier layer and as an adhesive material for multilayer laminates andfilms.

Without limiting the scope of the invention, it has been surprisinglyfound that polymer intercalation to levels sufficient to increase thegallery spacing to at least 19 Å produces composites that areextrudable. Water sensitivity of the liquid crystalline composite can bereduced by co-adsorption of ethylene-co-acrylic acid polymers.Ethylene-co-acrylic acid polymers with at least 15-20% acrylic acidcontent are water soluble and under low pH conditions bond directly tothe phyllosilicate surface. A high degree of water resistance can beachieved by inhibiting the neutralization of the acid functionality toless than about 3%.

Another method for intercalating a polymer within the galleries of thephyllosilicate involves mixing the phyllosilicate and the polymertogether and then heating the phyllosilicate-polymer mixture to atemperature above the melting temperature of the polymer. According tothis method the polymer intercalates into the galleries of thephyllosilicate thus producing a liquid crystalline composite.

The liquid crystalline composite formed by the intercalation of thephyllosilicate with the polymer can itself be intercalated with a secondpolymer, such as polyethylene or modified polyethylene, to form a liquidcrystalline composite comprising more than one polymer intercalatedwithin the galleries of the phyllosilicate. Alternatively, two or morepolymers can be mixed with the phyllosilicate in the initial step offorming the liquid crystalline composite and then heated to atemperature above the melting temperature of the polymer. Utilizingadditional polymers in the liquid crystalline composite can impartdesirable properties to the liquid crystalline composite including waterresistance, extrudability and adhesive properties.

The present phyllosilicate-polymer liquid crystal composites can be usedas ultra-high-barrier films for packaging and coatings applications inthe form of either extrudable liquid crystalline composites or as cast,thin-film liquid crystalline composite applied to a substrate,preferably a polymeric substrate (e.g. PET). Liquid crystallinecomposites, preferably exhibiting a nematic structure and containinghigh concentrations of clays, offer greater resistance to gas diffusiondue to very high concentrations of overlapping, impermeable clayplatelets. The clay concentrations within the liquid crystallinecomposite are in one embodiment in the range of 10 to 70 weight percent,and in other embodiments 10 to 30, 30 to 50 or 50 to 70 weight percentdepending upon the application in which the liquid crystalline compositeis used. The barrier layers of the present invention provide resistanceto gas permeability which is greater than the gas resistance of the basepolymer alone. Preferably, the barrier layers of the present inventionprovide gas resistance which is 1.5 times or more than the base polymer.More preferably, the barrier layers provide resistance to gas diffusionranging from about ten times greater and up than the base polymer. Mostpreferably, the barrier layers provide gas resistance that is from about1,000 to about 1,000,000 times greater when compared to barrier layersmade of the base polymer without the phyllosilicate.

A particularly interesting class of liquid crystalline composites can beprepared from purified smectites onto which low-molecular-weightpolyethylene glycols are adsorbed at concentrations in excess of 27weight percent, although the present invention is not limited to suchcompositions. These liquid crystalline composites are synthesized byadding water-soluble polymers to an aqueous suspension of aphyllosilicate. Removal of the water to less than about 2 weight percentmoisture produces self-assembled nematic liquid crystalline composites.Surprisingly and unexpectedly, a liquid crystalline composite containinggreater than 27 weight percent polymer, and in particular polyethyleneglycol, can be produced which exhibits a single phyllosilicate-polymerphase and is a liquid crystalline composite. This is in contrast topublished studies in which polymer loading in excess of 27 weightpercent produced two phases—a simple admixture of apolymer-phyllosilicate phase and a crystalline polymer phase. Asdescribed below, the single-phase liquid crystalline composites of thepresent invention containing about 30 to 70 weight percent polymerexhibit unique properties which make them prime candidates for themanufacture of cast and extruded films. Liquid crystalline compositesfor use in the production of cast and extruded films include thosecomposites which contain 30 to 40 weight percent polymer, 40 to 50weight percent polymer, 50 to 60 weight percent polymer and 60 to 70weight percent polymer. Because of their ordered structure, these liquidcrystalline composite materials are expected to exhibit excellentresistance to the transport of gases, and in particular oxygen andcarbon dioxide, making them good candidates for barrier and packagingapplications. In order to mitigate their sensitivity to water vapor, theliquid crystalline composites would be preferably be incorporated as athin, barrier layer within multi-layer films. These multi-layer filmscan be produced by attaching a cast film to other polymeric layers orthrough coextrusion. In an alternative embodiment of the presentinvention, hydrophobic polymers, such as polyolefins, can beintercalated into the liquid crystal composite to produce a compositewhich is water resistant. The polyolefin is preferably used incombination with water-soluble polymers and/or coupling agents such asPEG-based surfactants. Preferred hydrophobic polymers includepolyolefins, and in particular polyethylene and modified polyethylene.Intercalating a hydrophobic polymer into the galleries of thephyllosilicate can produce a liquid crystalline composite which ishydrophobic and extrudable.

Without limiting the scope of the present invention, it is believed thata single phyllosilicate-polymer phase can be achieved by loading greaterthan 27 weight percent polyethylene glycol onto a basal surface of thephyllosilicate through adsorbtion the polymer as an oxonium cation.However, the phyllosilicate-polymer compositions of the presentinvention do not depend upon the proposition that the polymer isadsorbed onto the phyllosilicate as an oxonium ion.

The attachment of polyethylene glycol according to the presentinvention, theorized to be through oxonium ion exchange, offers a uniquemethod of achieving higher than normal polyethylene glycol loading. Acomparison of x-ray diffraction patterns in FIGS. 2 and 3 illustrate thedifference between polymer adsorption via ion dipole interaction and theproposed oxonium cation exchange. FIG. 2 shows the x-ray diffractionpattern of a sodium-exchanged saponite admixed with 50 weight percentpolyethylene glycol. It displays the expected d(001) spacing of 17.8 Å.However, the diffraction pattern also shows diffraction peaks at 4.63and 3.83 Å which correspond to a crystalline polyethylene glycol phase.In other words, the admixture is comprised of two discrete phases—aclay/polymer intercalate containing 27 weight percent polymer and aseparate crystalline polymer phase not associated with the clay. Thex-ray diffraction pattern of the oxonium-exchanged clay containing 50weight percent polyethylene glycol is shown in FIG. 3. Aside from basalreflections, it does not show diffraction peaks for a crystallinepolymer phase. This indicates the existence of only one phase—aclay/polymer intercalate containing 50 weight percent polyethyleneglycol.

Published x-ray data indicate that a complete monolayer of polyethyleneglycol expands the basal spacing of sodium exchanged smectite clays from9.5 Å to 17.8 Å. This 8.3 Å increase corresponds to the formation of adouble layer structure residing between adjacent clay platelets andthereby indicating a monolayer depth of approximately 4 Å. The 4.0 Åspacing is in agreement with the width of a hydrocarbon chain.Therefore, the intercalates with greater than 17.8 Å spacing containpolyethylene glycol in excess of a monolayer. Without limiting the scopeof the invention, the unusually high adsorption density is believed tobe driven by solvation of the adsorbed hydrogen ion by polyethyleneglycol via formation of oxonium cations at the clay surface. An ionexchange mechanism would produce basal spacings that are dependent uponthe molecular weight of the polymer in agreement with experimental data.

Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) measurements of liquidcrystalline composites containing 27, 34, and 50 weight percentpolyethylene glycol were conducted to gain further insight into thephysicochemical properties of the liquid crystalline composites. FIG. 4shows the DSC scan for the liquid crystalline composite exhibiting ad(001) spacing of 17.3 Å and produced by oxonium exchange. A meltingtransition at 43 to 45° C. for the polyethylene glycol (molecular weightof 1500) is notably absent, indicating that the adsorbed polymer isdistinctly different from a discrete bulk phase. The scan does, however,show a decomposition endotherm at approximately 215° C. For reference,the decomposition temperature for polyethylene oxide/clay intercalatesin an inert atmosphere is approximately 360° C. Without limiting thescope of the invention, the lower decomposition temperature for theliquid crystalline composite is believed to be due to the enhancedmolecular motion of the polymer chains that occurs upon melting of thetwo-dimensional crystal phase located within the clay galleries. Thisclay, when sodium exchanged and containing 27 weight percentpolyethylene glycol, showed the expected decomposition temperature of360° C.

The DSC data for the liquid crystalline composites containing 32 and 50weight percent polymer were identical and displayed a reproduciblemelting transition at approximately 50° C. (the DSC profile for theliquid crystalline composite containing 50 weight percent polymerloading is shown in FIG. 5). These data indicate that the polymer inexcess of a monolayer behaves like a discrete, two-dimensionalcrystalline polymer phase (i.e., displays a melting transition) but thex-ray data indicate that all of the polymer is attached to the basalsurface of the clay and therefore does not display a 3-dimensional x-raydiffraction pattern. Note that the observed melt transition of 50° C. isapproximately 5-7° C. higher than that of pure polyethylene glycol withidentical molecular weight (e.g., 1500). This increase in melttransition has been observed with other polymer systems in confinedgeometries. Accordingly, the polymer chain segments which undergo amelting transition could produce a lubricating zone thereby enabling theclay platelets to slide past one another under pressure. This wouldpermit extrusion of liquid crystalline composites at temperatures abovethe melting point (i.e., 50° C.) but below the decomposition point. Thedecomposition temperature can be increased by extruding in an inertatmosphere and/or by adding an antioxidant to the liquid crystallinecomposite. Typical antioxidants used to prevent polymer degradation arephenols (e.g., 2,4-Di-t-butyl-4-methylphenol) and aromatic amines (e.g.,N,N′-Bis(1-methylheptyl)-p-phenylenediamine).

The film extrusion temperatures of typical packaging polymers such aspolyolefins (e.g., polyethylene and polypropylene) and polyethyleneterephthalate (PET) are 190° and 280° C., respectively. With theaddition of an antioxidant to the liquid crystalline composite it shouldbe possible to co-extrude laminates with polyolefins and PET.

Alternatively, with incorporation of polyethylene glycol basedsurfactants (e.g., polyethylene-block-polyethylene glycol orpolypropylene-block-polyethylene glycol), it is possible to produceextrudable liquid crystalline composites with reduced water sensitivity.Because of their superior characteristics, these materials could be usedin single-film barrier applications. The liquid crystalline compositesof the present invention are also dispersible in polyolefins making itpossible to produce conventional nanocomposites with clay contents of3-10 weight percent.

Another unexpected feature of the liquid crystalline composites of thepresent invention is that these phyllosilicate-polymer composites, whichhave relatively high, typically greater than ten weight percent,phyllosilicate content are transparent. Thus, the liquid crystallinecomposites of the present invention (provided the resin itself istransparent) are highly desirable in packaging applications. Until now,it has not been possible to produce transparent liquid crystallinecomposites containing clay minerals at concentrations of ten weightpercent or more, especially with extrusion processes.

All references cited herein are hereby incorporated by reference.

Non-limiting examples which further illustrate the properties of theclay-based liquid crystalline composites are provided below.

EXAMPLES Example 1

This example demonstrates that polyethylene glycol polymer can be loadedat greater than 27 weight percent and still exhibit a singlephyllosilicate-polymer phase. Using a Ca-saponite, twenty-seven percentby weight (i.e., 0.27 g of polyethylene glycol per g of clay) wasadsorbed onto the basal surface of the saponite by suspending thesaponite particles in water, dissolving the PEG in the water andsubstantially removing the water to form the phyllosilicate-polymercomposition. This clay-PEG composition showed an anomalous basal spacing[d(001)], exhibiting a d(001) spacing of 13.6 Å instead of the expected17.8 Å. As used in the present invention, the phrase “anomalous basalspacing” is used to mean a basal spacing which substantially differsfrom the basal spacing exhibited by a Wyoming montmorillonite coatedwith a monolayer, 27 to 30 weight percent, of polyethylene oxide. Thepolymer loading was verified by Loss on Ignition measurements. The factthat the dried organoclay did not readily disperse in water suggeststhat the polymer coating was actually less than a monolayer despite the27 weight percent loading. Sodium exchange improved the colloidalstability of the clay and increased the d(001) spacing to near theexpected 17.8 Å. Based on these results it is believed that the presenceof hydrogen ions in the exchange sites of the clay caused some of thepolyethylene glycol to adsorb onto the clay surface as an oxonium cationrather than through normal ion-dipole interactions between the polymerand the exchangeable cations at the clay surface. This hypothesis issupported by observations that oxonium cation formation by polyethyleneglycols has been reported in the solvent extraction literature (J. Rais,E. Sebestova, and M. Kyrs, “Synergistic Effect of Polyethylene Glycolsin Extraction of Alkaline Earth Cations by Nitrobenzene,” J. Inorg.Nucl. Chem., 38, (1976) pp. 1742-1744). This mechanism of adsorptionalso offers a plausible explanation for the anomalous d(001) spacing.Without limiting the scope of the invention, it is believed the oxoniumcation is produced by protonation of the terminal hydroxyl groups of thepolyethylene glycol which are stabilized by formation of a five memberring through hydrogen bonding to the terminal ether oxygen. Loss ofhydrated metal ions in the exchange positions on the clay surface wouldexplain the anomalous basal spacing since the volume that wouldotherwise be occupied by the metal cations now becomes unoccupied.

Example 2

To test the hypothesis of oxonium cation adsorption, a differentsaponite was purified using the pseudophasic extraction processdescribed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/532,728 filed on Mar.22, 2000, incorporated herein by reference. The purified clay was thentreated with a cation-exchange resin in the H⁺ form to replace the Na⁺and Ca⁺⁺ on the clay surface with H⁺. Varying amounts of polyethyleneglycol were then added to aliquots of the clay slurry as describedabove. The samples were dried overnight at 100° C. producingtranslucent, birefringent liquid crystalline composite films. The x-raydiffraction patterns were measured to determine the d(001) spacing as afunction of polymer loading. The data in FIG. 1 show a plateau in d(001)values at about 19.2 Å and correspond to a polymer loading of about 50weight percent. This is in contrast to literature data showing a maximumd(001) spacing of 17.8 Å at 27 weight percent polyethylene glycolloading. The 17.8 Å spacing at a polymer loading of 27 to 30 weightpercent has been reported in the literature to be independent of polymermolecular weight for all smectites that have been studied. In contrast,oxonium ion exchange produces a basal spacing that increases withincreasing polymer molecular weight. These results clearly indicate theimportance of hydrogen ion concentration in the clay exchange positionson polymer adsorption behavior. Thus, phyllosilicates which have eithera naturally high hydrogen ion concentration in the exchange positions orwhich have been altered through cation exchange to provide a highhydrogen ion concentration are useful in the present invention.

Example 3

This example demonstrates the excellent oxygen barrier properties of acast liquid crystalline composite film. A cast liquid crystallinecomposite film was prepared by drying an aqueous slurry containingapproximately 3 weight percent sodium montmorillonite having a monolayercoating of polyethylene glycol (molecular weight 1500) at the ratio 0.27g polymer per g of clay. The slurry was dried at room temperatureproducing a flexible film approximately 50 μm thick. Oxygen transportacross the film was measured at a relative humidity of zero percent.Oxygen permeability was below detection (i.e. 3×10⁻²⁰ mol/msPa).

The enhanced barrier performance is significantly greater than thatexpected if the clay platelets merely increased the tortuosity factorand hence the total path length of diffusing oxygen. The reported oxygenpermeability for polyethylene oxide is 2×10⁻¹⁴ mol/msPa. While theestimated tortuosity factor of the liquid crystalline composite is 20-40the oxygen permeability in the liquid crystalline composite is reducedby more than 650,000 fold over that of polyethylene oxide.

Example 4

This example illustrates the preparation of an extrudable liquidcrystalline composite by using a surfactant to plasticize thepolyethylene glycol/clay composite. A commercial hectorite (Bentone MA)was purified using the pseudophasic extraction technique. The aqueousslurry, containing approximately 3 weight percent organoclay, wastreated with a cation exchange resin to convert the organoclay into theH⁺ form. The treated slurry was combined withpolyethylene-block-polyethylene glycol and heated to 120° C. for 1-5 hto remove water. The final product contained approximately 5 weightpercent clay, 2 weight percent polyethylene glycol, and 93 weightpercent polyethylene-block-polyethylene glycol. The extremely largeamount of surfactant (polyethylene glycol/polyethylene copolymer) usedin this example illustrates the ability of the water-dispersedorganoclay to adsorb the polymeric surfactant to levels that are wellbeyond a monolayer coating and to maintain the clay platelet spacinggreater than 17.8 Å even after water removal. This is in contrast to thepolyethylene glycol (similar molecular weight to the polymericsurfactant) liquid crystalline composites of FIG. 1 which exhibit aplateau in the d(001) spacing of about 19 Å. X-ray analysis of theproduct showed an absence of basal reflection. The birefringent solidwas extrudable at 120° C., producing a clear, colorless film. Thebirefringence is evidence of a liquid crystal structure, however, thespacing between the clay platelets is beyond the resolution of thelaboratory defractometer (i.e., ⁻35 Å).

Example 5

This example illustrates the direct production of a liquid crystal filmfrom a highly concentrated aqueous suspension. A Wyoming montmorillonitewas purified according the pseudophasic extraction process as followsThe clay feed was dispersed in hot tap water at 40° C. for 15 min., andthe ammonium salt of the dispersant Dequest 2010 (a product of Solutia)was added to complete the dispersion of the ore. The amount ofdispersant added was 3 wt % relative to the weight of the clay.Poly(ethylene glycol) with a molecular weight of 1500 was added to theaqueous dispersion at a concentration of 30 wt % relative to the weightof the clay. The amount of poly(ethylene glycol) added was sufficient toproduce a monolayer coating on the basal surfaces of the exfoliated clayparticles. After mixing for 30 min., the slurry was passed through adecanting centrifuge to remove mineral impurities and unexfoliated clay.The surface of the hydrophilic clay composite was further modified toreduce the surface HLB by adding a sufficient amount of the ammoniumsalt of an ethylene acrylic acid copolymer (Michem® Prime 4990R) toproduce a final clay/polymer ratio of 60/40. After mixing for 30 min.,an amount of poly(ethylene oxide) with a molecular weight ofapproximately 6,000,000 was dispersed in deionized water and added tothe slurry at a concentration sufficient to produce a finalconcentration of 1 wt % relative to the weight of the clay. The solidswere flocculated by reduction of the slurry pH to about 3 withconcentrated sulfuric acid. The excess water was decanted and theclay/polymer composite was washed with fresh tap water. When thematerial was rapidly dried in the form of a sheet with a hot air dryerit produced a flexible, transparent, and colorless liquid crystalcomposite that was hydrophobic and which could be folded and creasedwithout breaking. This is an example of polymer adsorption through anoxonium ion that was generated by an ion exchange process after thepolymer had already been adsorbed to a clay surface which was originallyin the sodium form.

Example 6

This example illustrates the preparation of an extrudable liquidcrystalline composite containing approximately 50 weight percent clay.The purified H-ion exchanged saponite slurry of Example 2 was combinedwith polyethylene-block-polyethylene glycol (melting point 106° C.) andheated to 120° C. in a sealed Teflon vessel for 1.5 h. The productslurry was then dried at 100° C. yielding an liquid crystallinecomposite composition of 50.9 weight percent clay, 18.3 weight percent,polyethylene glycol, 30.8 weight percent polyethylene-block-polyethyleneglycol. The liquid crystalline composite produced a clear, colorlessfilm when pressed at 120° C. and 10,000 psi.

Example 7

This example illustrates the preparation of a liquid crystal compositewhose surface HLB value is modified by adsorption of a polymericsurfactant thereby making it extrudable when dispersed in hydrophobicpolymeric systems such as poly(ethylene), poly(propylene) and variouscopolymers containing a polyolefin. A Wyoming montmorillonite waspurified using the pseudophasic extraction method. The clay wasdispersed in hot tap water at 40° C. for 15 min., and the ammonium saltof the dispersant Dequest® 2010 (a product of Solutia) was added tocomplete the dispersion of the montmorillonite. The amount of dispersantadded was 3 wt % relative to the weight of the clay. Poly(ethyleneglycol) with a molecular weight of 1500 was added to the aqueousdispersion at a concentration of 30 wt % relative to the weight of theclay. The amount of poly(ethylene glycol) added was sufficient toproduce a monolayer coating on the basal surfaces of the exfoliated clayparticles. After mixing for 30 min., the slurry was passed through adecanting centrifuge to remove mineral impurities and unexfoliated clay.The surface of the hydrophilic clay composite was further modified toenable dispersion in hydrophobic systems by adding a sufficient amountof the ammonium salt of an ethylene acrylic acid copolymer (Michem®Prime 4990R) to produce a final clay/polymer ratio of 60/40. A dryproduct was obtained by spray drying the slurry to a final moisturecontent of less than 2 wt %. The solids content of the slurry fed to thespray dryer was approximately 9.5 wt %. The highly purified state of theclay was demonstrated by the fact that the material produced atransparent film when dried.

Example 8

This example illustrates the direct intercalation ofpolyethylene-block-polyethylene glycol (mw=1400) melt in a synthetichectorite (i.e., LAPONITE® clay). The LAPONITE® clay and surfactant wereblended at a 1:1 weight ratio, pressed into a pellet at 10,000 psi andheated to 125° C. for 1 h. This temperature is above the melting pointof the surfactant which is 106° C. Expansion of the clay layers due tointercalation of the surfactant caused the monolith to crumble. Thepowder was repressed at 10,000 psi and heated to 125° C. for 16 h. TheX-ray diffraction pattern shown in FIG. 6 exhibits a diffuse band ofd(001) spacings beginning at approximately 17 Å and extending beyond theresolution of the defractometer (i.e., ⁻38 Å). The X-ray diffractionpattern of the liquid crystalline composite of this example is shown inFIG. 6.

The intercalation of the organic coating in examples 7 and 8 probably donot involve the proposed oxonium ion formation since the clay was in thesodium form. Accordingly, the present invention is not limited tophyllosilicate-polymer compositions which exhibit anomalous basalspacing. Intercalation of smectites with polymeric surfactants providesa direct route to the production of polyolefin-clay nanocompositeswithout the use of amine-based surfactants. Unlike the quaternaryamine-based surfactants, which readily decompose via Hofmann eliminationat 125° C. or higher, the polyethylene glycol-based surfactants exhibitmelting points well below their decomposition points. Under anoxicconditions, the decomposition of polyethylene glycol, when intercalatedwithin clay galleries, does not occur until approximately 360° C. Inaddition, the polyethylene glycol-based surfactants produce colorlessintercalates and composites even at clay concentrations as high as 50-70weight percent as opposed to quaternary amine-based materials which aregenerally yellow to brown due to amine degradation.

As will be understood by one skilled in the art, for any and allpurposes, particularly in terms of providing a written description, allranges disclosed herein also encompass any and all possible subrangesand combinations of subranges thereof. Any listed range can be easilyrecognized as sufficiently describing and enabling the same range beingbroken down into at least equal halves, thirds, quarters, fifths,tenths, etc. As a non-limiting example, each range discussed herein canbe readily broken down into a lower third, middle third and upper third,etc. As will also be understood by one skilled in the art all languagesuch as “up to,” “at least,” “greater than,” “less than,” and the likeinclude the number recited and refer to ranges which can be subsequentlybroken down into subranges as discussed above.

While preferred embodiments have been illustrated and described, itshould be understood that changes and modifications can be made thereinin accordance with ordinary skill in the art without departing from theinvention in its broader aspects as defined in the following claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A phyllosilicate-polymer composition comprising:(a) a phyllosilicate; and (b) a polymer layer adsorbed onto the basalsurface of the phyllosilicate providing a phyllosilicate-polymercomposition, wherein the polymer of the polymer layer exists as anoxonium cation on the basal surface, the phyllosilicate-polymercomposition is present as a single phyllosilicate-polymer phase and thephyllosilicate-polymer composition exhibits an anomalous basal spacing.2. The phyllosilicate-polymer composition of claim 1 wherein the polymerhas at least one hydroxyl group.
 3. The phyllosilicate-polymercomposition of claim 1 further comprising a second polymer layeradsorbed onto the basal surface of the phyllosilicate.
 4. Thephyllosilicate-polymer composition of claim 2 wherein the polymer isselected from the group consisting of polyethylene glycol, polypropyleneglycol and monoalkyl ether derivatives thereof.
 5. Thephyllosilicate-polymer composition of claim 2 wherein the polymercomprises greater than 27 weight percent of the phyllosilicate-polymercomposition.
 6. The phyllosilicate-polymer composition of claim 2wherein the basal spacing of the phyllosilicate-polymer compositionincreases as the molecular weight of the polymer increases.
 7. Ananisotropic liquid crystalline composite, comprising: (a) aphyllosilicate-polymer composite, comprising: (1) a phyllosilicate; and(2) a polymer adsorbed onto the phyllosilicate, wherein the polymer isselected from polyethylene glycol, polypropylene glycol and monoalkylether derivatives thereof; and wherein the phyllosilicate-polymercomposite is birefringent.
 8. The anisotropic liquid crystallinecomposite of claim 7 wherein the phyllosilicate is nematically orientedin the phyllosilicate-polymer composition.
 9. The anisotropic liquidcrystalline composite of claim 7 wherein the phyllosilicate comprisesmore than 10 percent of the phyllosilicate-polymer composite.
 10. Theanisotropic liquid crystalline composite of claim 7 wherein thephyllosilicate is selected from the group consisting of kaolins, talcsand montmorillonites.
 11. The anisotropic liquid crystalline compositeof claim 7 wherein the polymer is water soluble.
 12. The anisotropicliquid crystalline composite of claim 7 further comprising a materialselected from the group consisting of polyethylene glycol basedsurfactants and polypropylene glycol based surfactants.
 13. Theanisotropic liquid crystalline composite of claim 12 further comprisingan antioxidant.
 14. The anisotropic liquid crystalline composite ofclaim 12 wherein the liquid crystalline composite is extrudable.
 15. Theanisotropic liquid crystalline composite of claim 7 wherein thephyllosilicate-polymer composition comprises a barrier layer, thebarrier layer providing a gas permeability below a gas permeability ofthe polymer alone.
 16. A method for producing an anisotropic liquidcrystalline composite from a phyllosilicate and a polymer comprising:(a) suspending a phyllosilicate in a compatible solvent; (b) dissolvinga polymer in the compatible solvent, wherein the polymer is selectedfrom the group consisting of polyethylene glycol, polypropylene glycol,and monoalkyl ether derivatives thereof; and (c) removing a sufficientamount of the compatible solvent to produce an anisotropic liquidcrystalline composite.
 17. The method of claim 16 wherein the compatiblesolvent is water.
 18. The method of claim 17 wherein the polymer ispolyethylene glycol.
 19. The method of claim 17 wherein the anisotropicliquid crystalline composite comprises less than about two percent waterby weight.
 20. The method of claim 17 further comprising purifying thephyllosilicate prior to suspending the phyllosilicate in the compatiblesolvent.
 21. The method of claim 17 wherein the anisotropic liquidcrystalline composition comprises between about 30 and 70 percentphyllosilicate.
 22. The method of claim 17 further comprising adding apolypropylene glycol or polyethylene glycol based surfactant to thecompatible solvent.
 23. The method of claim 22 further comprisingextruding the anisotropic liquid crystalline composite to produce abarrier layer of the anisotropic liquid crystalline composite.
 24. Ananisotropic liquid crystalline composite, comprising: (a) aphyllosilicate-polymer composite, comprising: (1) a phyllosilicate; (2)a polymer adsorbed onto the phyllosilicate; and (3) a material selectedfrom the group consisting of polyethylene glycol based surfactants andpolypropylene based surfactants, wherein the phyllosilicate-polymercomposite is birefringent.
 25. The anisotropic liquid crystallinecomposite of claim 24 further comprising an antioxidant.
 26. Theanisotropic liquid crystalline composite of claim 24 wherein the liquidcrystalline composite is extrudable.
 27. A method for producing ananisotropic liquid crystalline composite from a phyllosilicate and apolymer comprising: (a) suspending a phyllosilicate in water; (b)dissolving a polymer in the water and (c) removing a sufficient amountof the water to produce an anisotropic liquid crystalline compositecomprising less than about two percent water by weight.